Rob Lowe Says His Sons Are His ‘Greatest Achievement’: ‘I Can Only Take Half the Credit’

He’s an actor, director and author — but Robe Lowe‘s main priority has always been his family.

“My boys are definitely my greatest achievement,” Lowe, 53, tells PEOPLE of his sons, Matthew and John Owen, in this week’s issue. “I can only take half of the credit – maybe not even half! The rest goes to my wife Sheryl, who’s been just an amazing partner. Looking back on this year, the thing I’m most grateful is my family, my health and the opportunities that have been laid out before me.”

Though the Code Black star, who was named the first male spokesperson for Atkins on Wednesday, is used to navigating a hectic schedule both professionally and personally, Lowe is somehow able to maintain well-balanced, healthy lifestyle — and he does it flawlessly!

“Atkins is a great way to loose weight but I don’t use it for that,” he says. “I use it as an overall lifestyle. It’s not a diet. It is a sustainable long-term easy lifestyle. I think everybody comes to a time in their life where there’s a fork in the road and you can go one way or you can go the other. All of my heroes who are youthful, vigorous, vital, and energetic, among the things they have in common is eating right. Eating well is the single biggest component that I found in a healthy lifestyle, even more so than working out.”

He adds, “The irony is, I’ve been eating Atkins for years. I think I probably started in my late 30s. Atkins is the authority of low carb, high protein low sugar diets so I’ve been doing it for so many year that when they came to me and asked to do this together it was like I’m already doing it, so it was the perfect fit.”

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With the new year underway and many exciting projects in the works, the actor says it’s important to take time for yourself.

“I have to take care of myself and be disciplined,” he admits. “I have to get enough sleep, workout, eat right. I look at myself as no different than a professional athlete. If you go to sleep on it, you can’t expect to have the energy to be diverse and have longevity.”

“I think New Year’s resolutions are a really good exercise,” says Lowe. “I’m into longevity and consistency. A resolution needs to be something that I can integrate in a daily basis. I think it’s a great time for everybody to reflect on the person they want to be.”